Elbit, Nicarnica Collaborate on Ash-Cloud Avoidance System

HAIFA, Israel, July 16, 2014 — Elbit Systems and Nicarnica Aviation are partnering to help pilots detect and avoid hazardous ash clouds and other airborne particles that could endanger their aircraft.

Norway-based Nicarnica produces the Airborne Volcanic Object Imaging Detector (AVOID), which detects volcanic ash in the atmosphere up to 100 km ahead of an aircraft with two fast-sampling IR cameras. AVOID software is used to derive ash concentrations from the image signal, providing an indication of levels from <1 to >50 mg/m3.

AVOID will be integrated into Elbit’s Enhanced Vision System cameras for aviation.

Nicarnica CEO Ove Bratsberg said, “This will help the aviation industry avoid the economic damage created by crises such as the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption that crippled European aviation for several days.”